Feature Writer: 
What is a Classic Film?
Sure, it's a catch-all term these days, but true movie fans know what it really refers to: that perfect and prolific period from The Jazz Singer to A Hard Day's Night, from All Quiet On The Western Front to All About Eve, from Frankenstein to From Here To Eternity.
Relive the Studio Era -- film noir, westerns, gangster pictures, melodramas and comedies -- through profiles, book reviews, DVD news and more. If you know the color of Harpo Marx's first wig, if you can name the last film John Ford shot in Monument Valley, if you went all tingly when Warner Bros released its gangster collection on DVD, then by all means, line up behind the velvet rope.
Check out my articles, blog and post in the discussions or email me with your own golden oldies.
Scorsese's Raging Bull a Classic Redemption Tale
From the moment it premiered in 1980, you knew Raging Bull was, thematically and visually, a film for the ages -- a rich tapestry of rage, relationships and redemption. more...
Charles Boyer Was Among Greatest Screen Lovers
On film, debonair Charles Boyer was pure Continental romance and sophistication. But in a bittersweet final act, this quiet Frenchman proved himself a real-life romantic. more...
Barbara Stanwyck Among Finest Film Actors Ever
She never won a competitive Oscar, but Barbara Stanwyck remains among Hollywood's most loved and admired film actors, thanks to an astonishingly diverse filmography. more...
Forbidden Planet a Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Classic
Forbidden Planet is among the most fondly-remembered space epics of the 1950s. It's a psychological "space western" with all the elements of today's popcorn blockbusters. more...
DVD Review: Columbia Film Noir Classics, Vol. 1
In: Film Noir
This handsome, comprehensive package offers superior special features, including observations by noir experts Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, James Ellroy and Eddie Muller more...
The Narrow Margin Packs a Wide Wallop
In: Film Noir
It was supposed to be a simple B-movie, made on the cheap and destined for the bottom of a double bill. But The Narrow Margin turned out to be a taut film noir classic. more...
Jean Arthur - A Squeaky Voice For the Ages
A top star of the 1930s and '40s, Jean Arthur was a bundle of contradictions. Shy and self-conscious, she nonetheless crafted a unique persona that charmed audiences. more...
Joseph Cotten a Versatile Star of 40s Classics
His name was Cotten. But this Virginian, son of an assistant postmaster, was no lightweight. Joseph Cotten proved himself a versatile actor in 75 movies over 40 years. more...
All feature articles in Classic Films
All contributors in Classic Films
Best Movies at Christmas Not About Christmas
Five Christmas Movies for the Whole Family
By: Ed Mayhew
Why Some Still Like It Hot 50 Years Later
By: Martin Hickes
Getting Into the Holiday Mood - Hollywood Style
By: Richard Goertz
Hollywood & Media Influence on Society's Fashion
By: Deborah Read
All contributing articles in Classic Films